Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thừ Năm Tuần 31 Thường Niên

Suy Niệm Tin Mừng Thừ Năm Tuần 31 Thường Niên. Luke 15:1-10.  
Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca mô tả Thiên Chúa không phải là người ưa thích báo thù hay muốn trừng phạt con người, nhưng là một Thiên Chúa đầu yêu thương, Ngài hằng mong tìm kiếm những con người tội lỗi để đem họ về trong ơn cứu rỗi. Thiên Chúa đang tìm kiếm chúng ta, những con người tội lỗi, và yếu kém đức tin! Trong bài dụ ngôn hôm nay, Chúa Giêsu đuợc mô tả như một người mục tử nhân từ đang tìm kiếm con chiên đi lạc trong sa mạc. Và khi tìm thấy được nó, anh ta không tức giận, la mắng hay trừng phạt nó vì cái tội đi lang thang để bị lạc bày, nhưng anh ta đã đặt nó trên vai và mang nó về nhà với niềm vui hớn hở. Tương tự như vậy, Thánh Luca tiếp tục miêu tả Thiên Chúa như người phụ nữ tìm đồng tiền bị mất của mình. Cô quét nhà, thắp đèn cho sáng, cô đã bỏ ra hằng giờ và cố công để tìm cho ra đồng bạc bị mất của mình. Mặc dù đồng bạc ấy có giá trị không bằng cái công đã bỏ ra đi tìm, và có thể cô còn tốn tiền nhiều hơn cái giá trị của đồng tiền trong việc ăn mừng với bạn bè làng xóm sau khi cô đã tìm thấy được đồng bạc ấy.
            Kitô giáo của chúng ta chú trọng về việc Thiên Chúa tìm kiếm chúng ta, con người tội lỗi  hơn là việc chúng ta đi tìm kiếm Thiên Chúa: việc Thiên Chúa tha thứ, đón nhận, và mời gọi chúng ta đến với Bí Tích Thánh Thể. Kinh Thánh mời gọi chúng ta suy ngẫm về những gì chúng ta có thể đã vô tình đánh mất. Có lẽ chúng ta đã đánh mất một cái gì đó đọc đường trong cuộc sống vất vả, cam go,  hay chúng ta bị thất lạc những gí đó trong một cuốc sống đầy bon chen vật chất, hoặc chúng ta đã vô tình hay cố ý bỏ lại sau lưng những gì đó vì cuộc sống đầy vội vã, và đua chạy với đồng tiền, danh vọng.. Chúng ta đã mất những gì? Chúng ta cỏn thiếu những gì cho cuộc sống của chúng ta? Thiên Chúa đang tìm kiếm chúng ta, đang chờ đợi chúng ta và sẵn sàng chào đón và đưa chúng ta về nhà Chúa. Hãy đến với với tâm hồn thống hối và ăn năn.  Lạy Chúa, linh hồn chúng con đang mong chờ và đợi Chúa, xin cho chúng con biết vtin tưởng vào lời Chúa đã hứa.
 
Thursday 31^st Ordinary Time Rom. 14:7-12; Lk. 15:1-10
Contrary to some fire and brimstone preaching, our God does not delight in sending people to Hell. In fact, God grieves when people turn away from him. Our God does not cast us out. God leaves the door unlocked and we can freely choose to stay or go or even come home as we please.
            The gospel today portrays God, not as vengeful and punishing, but as a God who searches for sinners so he can save them. God is searching for us! In the first parable Jesus describes a shepherd searching for a lost sheep in the desert. When he finds it, he does not scold or punish it for wandering off and becoming lost, but puts it on his shoulders and brings it home with great joy.
            Likewise, Luke portrays God as a woman searching for her lost coin. She sweeps the house, lights a lamp. She spends more time and energy searching for her coin than it is probably worth and probably spends more than its value in celebrating its finding with her friends.
            Christianity is more about God seeking us than it is about us seeking God: about God forgiving, welcoming, and inviting us to the Eucharist, sinners though we all are. The scriptures invite us to reflect upon what we may have unknowingly lost. What is missing? Perhaps something we dropped or have misplaced or accidentally left behind or maybe just gradually fell away unnoticed. Perhaps something was taken from us. What have we lost? What’s missing? God is looking for us, waiting to welcome us home.  My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on his word.
 
Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time 2026
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way  there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” Luke 15:4–7
Repentance is often perceived as harsh, humiliating, and difficult. It requires us to admit our guilt, take ownership of our sins, resolve to change, and seek to repair the harm we’ve caused. It can feel easier to remain obstinate and avoid the discomfort of contrition. But that perspective distorts the truth. Self-justification is not rooted in God nor in truth; it is a selfish defense of our pride, not a pathway to healing.
The chief obstacle to repentance is pride. It is difficult to acknowledge our sins honestly, let alone confess them and seek reparation. Pride stirs our defenses and tempts us to resist humbling ourselves before God, others, and truth itself. This struggle is often magnified in close relationships, especially when both parties wrestle with pride and self-righteousness. In such cases, even a sincere apology may be met with resistance, and only time and grace can bring reconciliation.
But if the one we offended were perfect—like our Lord—repentance would be easier. We would know we are met with mercy, not condemnation. Reparation becomes more bearable when received by a heart full of compassion that is eager to reconcile. The good news is that every sin, though it may harm others, is first and foremost a debt we owe to God. Repentance, then, is an act offered to Him above all. And from God’s perspective, our repentance is never met with bitterness but with rejoicing.
Today’s Gospel reveals this divine joy through two parables. A shepherd searches for one lost sheep, and a woman searches for a lost coin. In both, the search is diligent, personal, and ends in joy. The shepherd and the woman represent God, who relentlessly seeks us, not to scold, but to rescue and carry us home. Both, upon finding what was lost, gather their friends and rejoice. These “friends” are the angels and saints, as well as the faithful on earth who share in God’s joy. We all sin. But how do we view repentance? As a burden or a joy? This Gospel invites us to shed the worldly view of repentance and adopt God’s view: one of rejoicing, restoration, and love.
What is your attitude toward sin? Do you cling to guilt and shame, deny your faults, or justify them? Or do you see sin as God sees it: as a wound He longs to heal? Repentance, rightly understood, floods God’s heart with joy. Though we can add nothing to His glory, we can offer Him joy each time we repent in humility. This truth means that repentance is not only desirable, but freeing and life-giving.
Likewise, when others sin against us—especially those closest to us—true freedom comes not through condemnation but through a heart like God’s: one that seeks to restore, not accuse. Our judgment carries no weight before God; it only distances us from the joy He desires for us and others.
Reflect today on whether your view of repentance reflects God’s. Consider both your sins and the sins of others. Ask for the grace to see repentance as a cause of joy, not only in Heaven but also in your own heart.
My forgiving Lord, I sin each day and wound Your Sacred Heart. Yet I know that Your mercy is greater than my weakness. Help me to recognize that the remedy for my sin is sincere repentance and ongoing conversion. Deepen my understanding of the joy that fills Your Heart when I return to You, so that I may never hesitate to repent. As You joyfully receive and forgive me, grant me the grace to extend that same mercy to others. Help me to seek out the lost with love and perseverance, just as You have sought me. Jesus, I trust in You.
 
Thursday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time 2026
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know me completely and love me even when I wander from you. Search my heart and reveal the ways in which I have become lost, whether through sinful desires or spiritual pride. Give me the humility to repent, the grace to return to you, and the charity to welcome others who seek your mercy. May I rejoice whenever a sinner is found and restored to your family.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Parable of the Lost Sheep: In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prepares for the Parable of the Prodigal Son and his Older Brother (Luke 15:11-32) by telling two shorter parables: the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. He tells these stories in response to the Pharisees and scribes, who complain that he welcomes sinners and eats with them. Jesus reveals that his willingness to receive sinners is not a compromise with sin but an expression of God’s saving love. In the first parable, a shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness to search for one that has wandered away. From a merely economic perspective, this seems unreasonable. Why risk the safety of the many for the sake of one? Yet the shepherd's actions reveal a love that cannot treat the loss of even one sheep as insignificant. He searches until he finds it, then joyfully carries it home on his shoulders. This is how God seeks us. He does not consider us interchangeable members of a crowd, nor does he measure our worth by our usefulness to him. Each of us is precious to him. When we wander through sin, he does not simply write us off or wait indifferently for us to return. Through his grace, he calls us back to himself. Notice, too, that the shepherd rejoices when he finds the sheep. He does not beat it for wandering away or make it walk home to prove its worthiness. He carries it home with joy. God’s mercy does not mean that sin is harmless; it means that our sins need not have the final word. The Good Shepherd desires not merely to expose our lostness but to restore us to communion with him and his flock.
2. The Parable of the Lost Coin: The second parable presents a different kind of lostness. A woman has ten coins, loses one, lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it. Unlike the sheep, the coin has not wandered away. It remains somewhere inside the house, yet it is still lost. This image invites us to consider those who remain within the Church but have become spiritually lost. The Pharisees and scribes are physically close to God’s people and familiar with his commandments, yet their hearts resist the mercy Jesus extends to sinners. They can recognize the sins of others while remaining blind to their own need for conversion. We know people who have left the Church because of sinful habits, disillusionment, or the pursuit of worldly pleasures. We may also know people who continue to practice their faith but have become trapped in pride, resentment, judgment, or self-righteousness. It is possible to remain close to the things of God while growing distant from the heart of God. Religious observance is a genuine good, but it cannot substitute for love. We can attend Mass, observe moral rules, and perform works of devotion while treating others harshly or refusing to rejoice when someone receives mercy. We can even approach our relationship with God as though it were a ledger, believing that our good deeds entitle us to his favor. Yet salvation is a gift of grace, not a wage we earn through our religious accomplishments. Jesus does not abandon those who are lost inside the house. Just as the woman searches diligently for her coin, he seeks those whose outward fidelity conceals an inward resistance to grace. At the end of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father goes out to plead with his older son, inviting him to celebrate his brother's return. The father wants both sons at the feast. Likewise, Christ calls both the openly sinful and the outwardly righteous to conversion: one must turn away from sinful actions, and the other must turn away from the pride that prevents him from loving as God loves.
3. The Joy of Being Found and of Finding Others: Both parables end with a celebration. The shepherd calls his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him, and the woman does the same when she finds her lost coin. Jesus then reveals the heavenly significance of their joy: there is rejoicing before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. This is a striking challenge to the Pharisees and scribes. They see sinners approaching Jesus and respond with complaints. Heaven sees the same sinners approaching the Lord and responds with joy. Their criticism exposes how far their hearts have drifted from God’s desires. They are so concerned with maintaining distinctions between the righteous and the sinful that they cannot celebrate when a sinner begins the journey home. We, too, must learn to see others through the eyes of heaven. When someone repents, returns to the sacraments, abandons a destructive habit, or begins to rebuild a broken relationship with God, our response should be gratitude rather than suspicion. We should not demand that a returning sinner first demonstrate perfection before offering encouragement and welcome. Genuine repentance bears fruit over time, but the first steps toward conversion are already reasons for hope and rejoicing. The parables also challenge us to participate in Christ’s search for the lost. We cannot force another person to repent, but we can pray for those who have wandered away, patiently accompany them, and make the Church a place where they can encounter the mercy of God. We must also examine our own hearts, asking whether our words and attitudes make it easier or harder for others to return. Ultimately, we are all dependent on God’s mercy. Some of us have wandered far from the flock; others have remained in the house while allowing pride to harden our hearts. Wherever we are lost, Christ seeks us. And when his grace brings us home, he invites us to share heaven’s joy by welcoming others into the same mercy we have received.
 
Thursday 31^st Ordinary Time 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I pray that you may find me when I am lost. For my part, I will seek you in all good things. I am thankful for the gift of your grace that empowers me to do good works.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Parable of the Lost Sheep: In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus prepares for the Parable of the Prodigal Son and his Older Brother (Luke 15:11-32) by telling two parables. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7) focuses on God’s concern for sinners who are like the younger, prodigal son. The twist in the parable is that the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine. Any sensible shepherd would just cut their losses. They still have 99 sheep, losing one is no big deal. God, however, is not a sensible shepherd. He is madly in love with each one of us. He knows each one of us by name. We are each precious to God, and he will do whatever it takes to bring us back into the flock of his sheep.
2. The Parable of the Lost Coin: The second parable, the Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8- 10), applies especially to those who are like the Pharisees and scribes. They haven’t wandered far like the lost sheep. They are in the house of God, but they are lost too! Just as Jesus seeks out the lost sheep, he will seek out the lost coin. We are familiar with both groups of people. We know family members, friends, coworkers, and others who have fallen into “sins of the flesh” and have left the Church. We also know people who remain in the Church but are like the scribes and Pharisees. They refuse to welcome sinners, they judge them no matter what they do, and they relate to God more like an accountant than a Father. Instead of growing in love for God and their brothers and sisters, they check off boxes of external pious practices and are confidently self-righteous because of all the sins they are avoiding. They refuse to celebrate God’s mercy. They are lost in the House of God and need to be found. Jesus asks us to imitate the merciful father, who goes to the older son and asks him to celebrate the return of his brother and welcome him into the family once more. He asks us to imitate the woman who searches her house for the lost coin and calls all her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her when she finds it.
3. Why Do You Judge? In the Letter to the Romans 14-15, Paul is trying to foster unity in the Roman church without imposing uniformity in nonessential matters. He identifies two factions in the community, and labels one “the weak and the other “the strong.” The weak are persons who abstain from meat and wine and follow a calendar that regards some days as more important than others. The strong, by contrast, are persons who embrace an unrestricted diet and make no distinction between one day and another. “Basically, the weak are committed to following a traditional Jewish way of life, while the strong believe that Judaism’s ritual observances are nonissues for Christians” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 241). Theologically, Paul teaches that the strong are right to hold that no food is unclean in itself. By pastorally, Paul asks that the strong not overassert their Christian freedoms to the detriment of the weak in the community. Both the strong and the weak shouldn’t be critical of one another, but practice respect and acceptance. This is the context for Paul asking them: “Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother?” (Romans 14:10). We always need to keep in mind that we will be judged by God.